SOSH has a new author

terrynever

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Baseball Jones has published an interesting book that focuses solely on Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS. John Vampatella calls It “The Forgotten Game” and in a way he is right. Game 4 is where the comeback started but Game 5 is when the series turned after 14 innings of grueling grinding by both teams. By focusing on this one marathon contest, John reminds us how the Red Sox and Yankees fought tooth and nail until David Ortiz provided the winning blow.

As a Yankee fan, I highly recommend this book for its honest portrayal of Game 5, how close it was, and how much we have forgotten about the pivotal contest.

View: https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Game-2004-ALCS-Yankees/dp/1642939889/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=John+Vampatella&qid=1628885549&s=books&sr=1-1
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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Oct 23, 2001
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I'll read it but it's a silly title. I know I'll never forget that game. Neither will any other Red Sox fan alive at the time.

I remember exactly where I was for almost every minute of that game. I had to go to a business dinner in New York. I followed the game as much as I could (via the SoSH game thread) and the occasional quick trip to the bar. When the dinner ended, I went over to the Yale Club next to Grand Central Station, figuring I'd watch the end of the game and then get my train back to New Haven. I had to get up relatively early next morning to get a flight out of Hartford, so I stayed as long as I could, but I finally had to get on a train or I'd be looking at like 2 hours of sleep. I continued to follow the game through SoSH (on a blackberry of all things with a rudimentary web browser) until the glorious end, which was only a little while my train got into New Haven.
 
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NYCSox

chris hansen of goats
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May 19, 2004
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I don't think any of us diehard Sox fans will forget it but it's certainly not in the same general population lore as Game 4 (Roberts steal), Game 6 (Schilling bloody sock) or Game 7 (finally slaying the beast).
 

Spelunker

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Jul 17, 2005
11,862
I'll read it but it's a silly title. I know I'll never forget that game. Neither will any other Red Sox fan alive at the time.

I remember exactly where I was for almost every minute of that game. I had to go to a business dinner in New York. I followed the game as much as I could (via the SoSH game thread) and the occasional quick trip to the bar. When the dinner ended, I went over to the Yale Club next to Grand Central Station, figuring I'd watch the end of the game and then get my train back to New Haven. I had to get up relatively early next morning to get a flight out of Hartford, so I stayed as long as I could, but I finally had to get on a train or I'd be looking at like 2 hours of sleep. I continued to follow the game through SoSH (on a blackberry of all things with a rudimentary web browser) until the glorious end, which was only a little while my train got into New Haven at 1:30 in the morning or whatever it was.
I've forgotten nothing about that game, from listening to it at work to listening on the bus, to springing into the nearest bar (Brownstone) when I got back into the city and then not moving from my chair for hours and hours despite my bladder. Congrats on the book, though, @BaseballJones
 

Leather

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Jul 18, 2005
28,451
Cool! Looking forward to it, especially now that one of my sons is really into reading about baseball, so we can read it at the same time and talk about it.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
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Nov 2, 2007
20,112
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I was there.

Went to Game 2 at the toilet then spent $1200 (bleacher seats through StubHub) for Games 3, 4, & 5 at Fenway. Drove up from Greenwich, CT with my good buddy. We were getting pinged after Game 3 & all of Game 4 by Yankee fans/friends asking if we were going to eat $400/each since there would be no Game 5 ;)

Drank a pot of coffee and drove home, in the middle of the night, back to CT after Game 5, exhausted!

I was happy to sit at home and watch Games 6 & 7 from my couch
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Aug 23, 2008
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It speaks to the nature of that game that the only specifics I really remember are the winning hit and the fact that the NL game started way later and IIRC came pretty close to finishing first.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Jan 13, 2021
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I’d like to think I remember every part of that game but things get a little fuzzy after 17 (wow) years. I recall Pedro not having great stuff, the Tony Clark hit luckily bouncing up into the stands and saving the Sox a run, the passed balls by Wake / Tek and Papi’s walk off hit in a great at bat against Loaiza.

I have almost no recollection of Mussina starting the game for the Yankees, nor do I recall Arroyo’s inning (never mind Sturtze or Heredia for the Yankees). I thought Nixon homered off Gordon, but he didn’t. Maybe he had a sac fly?

An underrated aspect of that series was Olerud getting hurt in game 3 (and Giambi not even making the postseason roster…was that the year he got the “bad sushi” in Japan)?

Can’t wait to read this.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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Thanks everyone! I appreciate it. It was a blast to write and a number of SOSH folks helped give it a look over and give me feedback during the process. In many ways, this is a SOSH book.

I hope those of you that read it like it!
 

OurF'ingCity

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Apr 22, 2016
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I listened to the entirety of the extra innings of this game on the radio on my old bedroom digital clock facedown on the bed with my head shoved into a pillow. I was worried if I moved my position even slightly I would disrupt the universe just enough to make the Sox lose.
 

Manramsclan

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Jul 14, 2005
3,371
We watched this game through a giant mirror to reverse the curse. We were at game 4 the night before. It was a crazy 48 hours
 

candylandriots

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God, I remember that game so well. I was at Game 4 in Boston. Got back to my friend's house in Boston at 2am and had a 6am flight out of Logan to LGA to go to work the next morning.

I worked all day, but my car was in the shop, so I set up my damn VHS to record the game. Avoided the score for the early start, went to pick up the car, drove home and got home around 8pm. Swapped out tape 1 for tape 2, just in case it was still going on. Took tape 1 to the other vcr and started watching it, fast forwarding through all the commercials. Eventually caught up with tape 2 around 10 or 11 pm. Not sure exactly when I finished tape 2, but I was astonished at how little of it was left when I was done.

Toilet for games 6 and 7 after. 2 and 5 were the only ones I didn't see in person, and I missed out on 5 because of the rain.
 

Mystic Merlin

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Sep 21, 2007
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Despite being a huge Boston sports fan, my dad has a poker face watching games. Never seen my dad jump up to celebrate while watching any sporting event....except when Ortiz hit that flare in this game. We jumped up and hugged at whatever time in the wee hours, a real special memory.

Great idea for a chronicle.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
24,375
That series was the peak of the rivalry and nothing can ever be done to replicate it. Game 5 seemed like an eternity. I have never been more nervous than when Wake was in the game in extras.
That was indeed excruciating. Rewatching the game a dozen times to write the book.... it never got easier to see. Holy smokes.
 

edoug

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Jul 15, 2005
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That was indeed excruciating. Rewatching the game a dozen times to write the book.... it never got easier to see. Holy smokes.
Congratulations, It is a great subject but what gave you the idea to write about it? What was your aha moment?
 

TonyPenaNeverJuiced

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Jun 7, 2015
318
I remember exactly where I was for almost every minute of that game. I had to go to a business dinner in New York. I followed the game as much as I could (via the SoSH game thread) and the occasional quick trip to the bar. When the dinner ended, I went over to the Yale Club next to Grand Central Station, figuring I'd watch the end of the game and then get my train back to New Haven. I had to get up relatively early next morning to get a flight out of Hartford, so I stayed as long as I could, but I finally had to get on a train or I'd be looking at like 2 hours of sleep. I continued to follow the game through SoSH (on a blackberry of all things with a rudimentary web browser) until the glorious end, which was only a little while my train got into New Haven.
TLDR, poster went to Yale.

JK. But I'm a Sox fan with a unique perspective there. I was on flight (Los Angeles to NYC) during Game 4. Our only updates came via the ESPN News ticker on the JetBLue screens. A plane full of people screaming and then screaming again over the 4-4. 4-3, 4-2 score changes is an experience that will never be topped, no matter the situation. I literally could be pitching a perfect game for the Red Sox myself and nothing, ever, will top that experience. Landing at JFK, and the ONE person with a Blackberry yelling "The Sox won!" is seared into my mind.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
24,375
Congratulations, It is a great subject but what gave you the idea to write about it? What was your aha moment?
That’s a great question. I wanted to write about something that really impacted me as a Sox fan, but not something that has been written about a lot. Obviously the 2004 team has been written about a ton, but I hadn’t really seen a deep dive into any one game. I thought of Game five because everyone remembers game 4 and Roberts’ steal, game 6 and the bloody sock, and game 7 because they finally slayed the Yankee dragon and completed the comeback. But game 5 often gets lost in the shuffle even though *I* think it was the best game of the entire series. So I just thought it would be a fun project to write about that game. And spoiler - there’s a lot about baseball beyond just this particular game in there.

I wrote it in about a month last summer during Covid.
 

edoug

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Jul 15, 2005
6,007
That’s a great question. I wanted to write about something that really impacted me as a Sox fan, but not something that has been written about a lot. Obviously the 2004 team has been written about a ton, but I hadn’t really seen a deep dive into any one game. I thought of Game five because everyone remembers game 4 and Roberts’ steal, game 6 and the bloody sock, and game 7 because they finally slayed the Yankee dragon and completed the comeback. But game 5 often gets lost in the shuffle even though *I* think it was the best game of the entire series. So I just thought it would be a fun project to write about that game. And spoiler - there’s a lot about baseball beyond just this particular game in there.

I wrote it in about a month last summer during Covid.
That's pretty cool for a baseball fan and as a novelist. Love of the game plus tell a new story.
 
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Manramsclan

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Jul 14, 2005
3,371
That’s a great question. I wanted to write about something that really impacted me as a Sox fan, but not something that has been written about a lot. Obviously the 2004 team has been written about a ton, but I hadn’t really seen a deep dive into any one game. I thought of Game five because everyone remembers game 4 and Roberts’ steal, game 6 and the bloody sock, and game 7 because they finally slayed the Yankee dragon and completed the comeback. But game 5 often gets lost in the shuffle even though *I* think it was the best game of the entire series. So I just thought it would be a fun project to write about that game. And spoiler - there’s a lot about baseball beyond just this particular game in there.

I wrote it in about a month last summer during Covid.
I'm excited for this book. This game was incredible.
 

ookami7m

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That series was the peak of the rivalry and nothing can ever be done to replicate it. Game 5 seemed like an eternity. I have never been more nervous than when Wake was in the game in extras.
I'll never forget rocking back and forth on my couch just KNOWING that we were going to lose on a mishandled knuckler by Varitek. I'm certain that that series shortened my life by at least 5 years.

edit - also Ordered!
 
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RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
55,298
deep inside Guido territory
I'll never forget rocking back and forth on my couch just KNOWING that we were going to lose on a mishandled knuckler by Varitek. I'm certain that that series shortened my life by at least 5 years.
I was in college at the time and I had a single dorm. After watching Game 4, I told my friends I could not watch it with anyone. I sat in silence the entire 4 days' worth of games. Skipped out on a test early to get back for Game 6.
 

terrynever

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I was in college at the time and I had a single dorm. After watching Game 4, I told my friends I could not watch it with anyone. I sat in silence the entire 4 days' worth of games. Skipped out on a test early to get back for Game 6.
You doubted Game 7’s outcome? Yanks were dead by then. Kevin Brown’s corpse was all they had left.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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I went to Games 4 & 5 and game 4 was pretty cold and I hate being cold so I was pretty bundled up. Gloves, hat, whatever. I wore the same get up to Game 5, and I’m usually not superstitious but I didn’t dare take anything off even though it turned out to be much milder weather. I was a sweaty mess.

EDIT: Perhaps the Yankee fans on this site are outliers when they downplay 2004 or act as if they knew they were likely beat before Game 7. For all the a****** Yankee fans who shouted “1918” at Fenway Park and drunkenly taunted the Red Sox fans and boasted about titles they won in the 1920’s, and Yankee announcers with their condescension, and even snide comments by guys like Yogi Berra, well, I can guarantee this series was a turning point. They either had to shut the f up about what, until then, seemed to have been their favorite topic ever or get a killer comeback thrown in their faces. The change in demeanor of Yankee fans at Fenway was almost immediately refreshing.
 
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tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
37,058
Hingham, MA
That series was the peak of the rivalry and nothing can ever be done to replicate it. Game 5 seemed like an eternity. I have never been more nervous than when Wake was in the game in extras.
I would argue that it was more than just the peak of the rivalry. It was the peak of our entire fandom of any team in any sport, ever. Nothing will ever matter as much again.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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Dec 16, 2010
53,841
Game 4 was on a Sunday. I had an adult league baseball game that morning and it was my turn to work on fields before the game. I was working on it with a Yankee fan. I did my best Millar--"Dude, you never know."

I was a zombie at work that week.
 

terrynever

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I went to Games 4 & 5 and game 4 was pretty cold and I hate being cold so I was pretty bundled up. Gloves, hat, whatever. I wore the same get up to Game 5, and I’m usually not superstitious but I didn’t dare take anything off even though it turned out to be much milder weather. I was a sweaty mess.

EDIT: Perhaps the Yankee fans on this site are outliers when they downplay 2004 or act as if they knew they were likely beat before Game 7. For all the a****** Yankee fans who shouted “1918” at Fenway Park and drunkenly taunted the Red Sox fans and boasted about titles they won in the 1920’s, and Yankee announcers with their condescension, and even snide comments by guys like Yogi Berra, well, I can guarantee this series was a turning point. They either had to shut the f up about what, until then, seemed to have been their favorite topic ever or get a killer comeback thrown in their faces. The change in demeanor of Yankee fans at Fenway was almost immediately refreshing.
To me, if you know anything about sports, you know nothing is decided in advance, especially in a rivalry series. No lead is too big. Then there was the odd spiritual dynamic between these two teams that played out in mid season, and had its roots in 2003. Boston was just tougher mentally. Game 5 killed the Yankees’ spirit. We’re talking about a team built around A-Rod and Gary Sheffield.
I had hope for Jon Lieber in Game 6 and he pitched creditably but the Yankees declined to bunt on Schilling and to me that was a sign of their fading arrogance. You do anything to win. The Yankees swung away. It was over after Game 6, in my book.
What you guys forget is the Yankees lost a lot of big games, too, during the height of their dynasty, and towards the end in the early 1960s. We know what losing looks like. Always have, because losing hurts worse than winning feels good.
 

geoflin

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Game 5 changed that idea although I understand your extra angst.
For many of us it didn't. We all remembered 2003 when it seemed the Sox had game 7 in hand but they lost, just as they had so many previous times when they seemed to be in the driver's seat. Sure, they had won single important games before but they had yet to win a crucial series against the Yankees and to follow up with a World Series victory in our lifetimes. I personally felt the possibility of impending doom until they took a big lead in game 7.